Frequently a front (anterior) tooth is lost in an accident or missing due to a congenital defect, leaving sound abutment teeth. Conventional full coverage reduction requires preparation of abutment teeth by grinding them down and fitting a cap. This is not only expensive and uncomfortable for the patient, but degrades the abutment teeth. The use of an orthodontic arch wire requires that a slot be drilled in the sound abutment teeth and the space between the bar-supported pontic and the abutment teeth be filled with composite resin. A description of such an approach is to be found in JADA Volume 100, Feb. 1980, pages 198-202. Removable partials tend to be bulky, expensive, and traumatic to gingival tissue, and can torque the abutment teeth to loosen them.
It has been proposed to attach a cast fixed prosthesis to abutment teeth using a composite resin and acid-etch procedure without reducing the abutment teeth (see J. Prosthet. Dent., Jan. 1977, pages 28-31; Quintessence International 7/1979, pages 23 et seq., Restorative Dentistry, Endodontics Number 7, Report 1772, July 1979, pages 1-7). The pontic itself was porcelain, formed around a narrow bridging bar between perforated wings.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a prosthesis of the winged, cast, fixed type utilizing the acid-etch technique and composite resin system, which is less expensive and more esthetically acceptable and versatile than the prosthesis using porcelain pontics.
Other objects will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.